La Mata de Morella

Sitting at over 820m above sea level and on the banks of the river Cantavieja and the river La Cuba, La Mata de Morella is a pretty village of the inland. With fewer than 200 inhabitants, this tiny destination is located in the province of Castellón, just 20km from one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, Morella. From the Middle Ages to the present day, arable and pastoral farming have been the community’s main economic activities. Come along to explore everything there is to see here. 

What to see in La Mata de Morella

The best place to start your exploration of La Mata de Morella are the historic streets that will spirit you back in time so you can imagine what life used to be like here. The first sight to visit is the ice house, a structure once used for storing snow which was collected in the winter and combined with straw to be sold as ice later in the year. The ice house has been carefully renovated and now houses an ethnological museum about espadrilles. 

The horno, or village oven, is another point of interest that tells the story of La Mata de Morella’s past. Historically, the site has had different purposes. According to documents, it was once a market where wool was sold, before becoming a communal oven shared by the villagers to bake their bread while socialising with their neighbours. It is still a place where people come together today as the building is now the village restaurant. 

Just steps from here you will find another sight: Palacio del Ayuntamiento, the council building, which is listed as a Site of Cultural Interest. The building is an example of civil Aragon architecture. The ground floor used to be the village prison. Well worth a visit to explore La Mata de Morella’s culture and history. 

Talking of culture and history, it is worth mentioning that noble families have lived in the municipality over the centuries. A number of elegant buildings in the village keep this legacy alive, namely Casa Cremada, Palacio de los Vallés and Casa Palacio de los Pedro y la Figuera. 

And last but by no means least, the small village is enveloped in outstanding areas of natural beauty. Les Calderetes, for instance, comprises a number of natural pools that have merged into a river, and Toll Negre is a natural reservoir whose depth is unknown. 

Come to La Mata de Morella to discover this small village’s great history and stunningly beautiful landscapes.